call from Jeff Barth

I just received a telephone that was not a robocall, but an actual in person telephone call from congressional candidate Jeff Barth.

He must be considered the underdog in the June 5 Democratic primary that will determine who takes on Kristi Noem, but may he still he a shot at it.

He stated that money has started to flow into his campaign after his joint interview with Tom Varilek in which Tom Varilek stated that he would oppose a gay marriage bill whereas Jeff Barth gave what he calls "about the most luke warm endorsement of gay marriage possible".

In essence Jeff stated that he could not consider it a priority, but that if a bill supporting gay marriage came up, he would vote for it.

Jeff and Tom have almost identical positions on almost all other issues.

I can't say that I agree with them on all of those issues, but I certainly agree that either one of them would be a vast improvement on Kristi Noem, and not just because they are Democrats, although that by itself would probably be enough for my vote this year.


A disclosure is probably in order: I don't think that Jeff Barth is making random in person calls to voters or even Democratic voters in general. He and I have known each other for probably 30 years, and on some points he respects my opinions and in particular wanted my opinion on how to approach reservation voters, where he admits he is at a disadvantage.

He also stated that on the only poll he knows of the undecideds constituted 70%. That's huge with 2 1/2 weeks before the primary.


I think this is a sleeper because the Republican Party is generally dominant here, and Kristi Noem is now an incumbent.

However, she won, in the Republican wave year of 2010 by less than 5,000 votes, which was not a majority but only a plurality, and she has angered many former supporters since. (See my post above on her congressional attendance.)

It is my opinion that she is vulnerable, and if Varilek wins the primary I'll happily support him too, but I'll be voting for Jeff Barth in that primary.